Humans lived in the world not to enjoy happiness but to bear witness to brutality.
There was no heaven to be found, only people fighting to live on the battlefield of blood and tears. Even if it took their last bit of strength, they still searched for heaven inside their soul.
In the Kingdom of Shuanghua, it was snowing in the city of Shuofang. The snow, as light as daffodils, fell silently without a trace.
The number of pedestrians didn't seem to decrease on the streets, however, even in the early evening, and all the restaurants remained open. The doorways of the shops lining the streets were decorated with little pots of pine trees, their branches covered in glistening snow. The shopkeepers looked out from time to time, watching for other shops' closing times. Young women had red cheeks from the freezing weather, but still showed no intention of covering up. Whenever they pa.s.sed anyone on the street, they casually showed off their expensive jewelry.
Ever since Kingdom of Shuanghua defeated the neighboring Kingdom of Guimian, Emperor Qi Yixian had ordered feasts for everyone. The country welcomed its most festive time. The mansion of the court historian, a block away from the emperor's residence, replaced its stone lions at the entrance with two gold ones.
Inside that mansion, the newly appointed court historian, Ling Ruosong, sat next to a table and chatted with his new wife, Ji. He played with an intricate snuff bottle made of jade.
"My lord, are you really going to be Prince Huaixin's right hand?" Ji asked as she reached out her dainty hand to deliver one piece of tangerine to her husband's lips.
Ling Ruosong bit into the fruit and caressed his wife's soft cheeks. "It is smart to follow the times. The Kingdom of Guimian may be controlled by Shuanghua now, but the emperor is elderly, and his son Prince Huaiyi is not yet eighteen years old. He's a decent guy, but not as visionary as Prince Huaixin."
"You make it sound so easy. No matter how great Prince Huaixin is, a nephew is not a son, plus, the emperor is still alive. Court officials who support Prince Huaiyi are led by Official Ling, your father. You would fight your own father to support Prince Huaixin?"
"My lady, we're supporting Prince Huaixin in our weaker position now, but we're not just biding our time. Don't worry, the sun will break through the darkness soon; it's a matter of time before the holy light is upon us."
Ling Ruosong squinted his eyes and sniffed a piece of orange peel. He called for a maid to clean up and gave orders to another servant.
"Are the geishas from Liaoyuan Kingdom all here?"
"Yes, sir, I've already settled all of them at the hotel. They're busy preparing for tomorrow night's banquet." "Very good. Give this message to Prince Huaixin and all the officials: Since I'm sick with a cold, I request that Prince Huaixin deliver the thousand-year-old ginseng to the emperor."
Ji looked at her husband and her lips delicately frowned. "Why aren't you going to the banquet? Are you afraid of being seduced by the gorgeous geishas of Liaoyuan?"
Ling Ruosong smiled and didn't answer. He blew out the candles on the table. Snow continued to fall outside, adding a sense of chill.
Less than ten li from Emperor Qi's mansion was a lavishly-decorated hotel that the emperor used to host all the artists and performers in town. Among the nine kingdoms, the Kingdom of Liaoyuan had a wealth of talented people. Many royals had marveled that they could die without regret if they only had the fortune of seeing the beautiful and enchanting Liaoyuan geishas.
On the evening of the banquet, Emperor Qi waited in the hall. The minute the stunning geishas appeared, before they even performed, he and his entourage were already mesmerized. When the show was halfway done, he coughed and touched his chubby chins, looking toward Ling Bingqiu, a court official.
"Official Ling, is your son Ruosong not here today?"
Ling Bingqiu was about to reply when a tall and richly-dressed young man stood up first, took out a box wrapped in red cloth and delivered it to Emperor Qi.
"Uncle, Ruosong told me to let you know that he is sick at home, and was afraid to come here and ruin the celebration. He asked me to deliver this gift for him. It's a thousand-year-old ginseng grown on a snowy slope, great for extending life and generating energy. Please accept it."
"Qi Huaixin, don't you have any manners?" a chubby young man said. "My dad was talking to Official Ling and not you."
"Huaiyi, what's your problem? Huaixin was just making a joke at the party. No need to make a fuss about it."
Seeing Emperor Qi scolding Huaiyi, his son, Huaixin smiled slyly and asked the servants to present his own gift to the emperor.
The eyes of Emperor Qi shone like stars when he opened the gift. "Isn't this my older brother's treasured wine? Red Plum in the Snow? Huaixin, your dad didn't want to share the wine with me when he was alive. You really understand Uncle." Huaixin nodded. "Uncle is too kind. My dad died way too young, so not sharing this wine—made with melted snow collected from plum trees on the mountain—was always his regret. Today is the fortieth anniversary of us having the wine, so I'm presenting it for him. I hope you get to enjoy it."
"Great, wonderful." Emperor Qi sipped the wine, his eyes moist.
"I, Huaixin, want to thank Uncle. I believe that my dad in heaven will be gratified. Today is the celebration of our kingdom getting Guimian Kingdom back. Please don't be melancholy. Enjoy the show."
Qi Huaixin bowed and returned to his seat.
The leader of the Liaoyuan geishas spoke. "Lord, the next performer is a geisha from our kingdom. Her name is Nongyue. Her face is not beautiful, so please pardon the red scarf on her face. I guarantee her dancing will satisfy you." Emperor Qi seemed intrigued. "Ugly but talented? I want to see this. Make her come out."
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